"We are becoming more convinced that Apple will introduce its first Intel-based PowerBook at Macworld San Francisco,"

Gardner said these product introductions would be sooner than expected, which should help minimize the risk that Apple would end up with a buildup of its current line of non-Intel laptops as customers anticipate the arrival of the new models.

My iMac is getting kind of old. A new powerbook will handle my photography needs very well and when I get back into video it will handle that too. But if the intel chip is going to be a huge jump but not in cost it might be worth waiting for,,,

What do I think? I have absolutely no way of knowing and I just read all the same rumors that you can. Apple does not preannounce products. If they announce in January, when will they ship? No idea. Also might not be the best idea to be the first kid on the block with an Intel Mac.

If you don't really need a computer now then wait a month or two. If you need it now, and if a Powerbook or iBook does what you want then I see no reason not to buy. But if you can wait, if nothing else you may be able to buy a G4 Powerbook at a bargain price. OTOH who knows... you might also be looking at a shortage of laptops if they're trying to clear out inventory before the new machines.

Rolling out a consumer system like the iBook as the first Intel Mac also makes sense from a software development standpoint. Developers such as Adobe are not expected to have their applications ready as Universal Binaries by the first quarter, meaning current PowerPC versions will have to run under Rosetta on Intel systems.

After reading that story I might wait a few weeks and see if Apple lowers the price on the laptops for the holidays. I don't need it right away so I can wait.

I can see them dropping their price some. You can buy a new Dell laptop and nice one with a lot of power for $1500. The 15" Powerbook with the RAM upgrade and applecare will cost $2200. I don't mind paying more but that is a big difference.

Well for our sort of application I don't think the Dell price point is particularly significant. First you need to decide whether you want to use Mac or Windows software, then you can choose the best machine for your needs.

Personally I'd be very surprised to see a sale until after MacWorld. Have you been in an Apple Store recently? I was there last week. Nothing was on sale and it was packed, with lines at the cash registers which is pretty much what I've seen everytime I've been there in the last few months. You'd swear they were giving away this stuff...

I'm used to Macs so I will stick with them. I stopped at a store on the University of Illinois that sells computers to staff and students. They had some Powerbooks and iMacs running to try out. I think I'll go with the 15" Powerbook now. Who knows what the new chip will do!!

After reading that story I might wait a few weeks and see if Apple lowers the price on the laptops for the holidays. I don't need it right away so I can wait.

I can see them dropping their price some. You can buy a new Dell laptop and nice one with a lot of power for $1500. The 15" Powerbook with the RAM upgrade and applecare will cost $2200. I don't mind paying more but that is a big difference.

Tons of powerbooks (tons of everything, actually) in the refurbished section on Apple's website, if you're comfortable with something like that.